Best Books of 2012 (a.k.a. Holiday Gifts for Readers and Authors)

Portions of this post are subject to my disclosure notes, which you can find here.

I've seen quite a few “Best of” lists the past few weeks, and regardless of their length, I seem to have read only about 3 books on each. Yet 2012 was one of the most satisfying years I've ever had as a reader. So what gives? It’s simple. The people making those lists are just wrong. Or like different stuff than I do.

Either way, it seemed worthwhile for me to make a list of my own.

And since I enjoy the gifts of amazing stories all year long, I was thinking about what I could give some of these storytellers to celebrate the season. The best present I could think of is a plea to any and everyone reading this that you preorder their books. I've talked about preorders before—and will continue to do so—but to recap: In this crazy world of modern publishing, preorders matter. They make a difference, even to big-name famous authors. Not to mention that when you preorder a book, come the release date, you get a gift your own self, too.

So without further ado and in no particular order, here’s my Best Books of 2012 list, along with info on coming releases I recommend you preorder for those that already have preorder links available. 

CREOLE BELLE by James Lee Burke

To me, this book was more than the latest installment in the beloved Dave Robicheaux series--although it's that too. It is an important book, because it includes social commentary woven throughout the story. I believe that 100 years from now, this tale will ensure as much as any James Lee Burke (or anyone else, for that matter) has written.

Click here to preorder LIGHT OF THE WORLD

CRIMINAL by Karin Slaughter

My review is here. Some storytellers just get better with each book, and Karin Slaughter is no exception. Including cases in both the present and in 1975, CRIMINAL is insightful without ever being preachy, and is as tense a tale as you'll find.

Click here to preorder UNSEEN.

WHAT IT WAS by George Pelecanos

My review is here. I read some kick-ass historical fiction this year, and WHAT IT WAS certainly falls into this category. Pelecanos is at his storytelling best as we follow Derek Strange through the streets of 1972 Washington DC.

START SHOOTING by Charlie Newton

My review is here.  Newton was a new-to-me author this year, and I loved his dark, bloody, and even occasionally funny "cop noir."

THE RETRIBUTION and THE VANISHING POINT by Val McDermid

My review of THE RETRIBUTION is here. When I like an author and have the opportunity to read more than one of her or his books in a single year, I'll generally do exactly that. Val McDermid had two books out in 2012, and while they're quite different, each is superb.

THE RETRIBUTION is the latest in the Tony Hill-Carol Jordan series, and brings back one of crime fiction's best villains, Jacko Vance. THE VANISHING POINT is a stand-alone novel that is beautifully crafted and terrifyingly unsettling. 

The new Tony Hill book is called CROSS AND BURN, but preorder links aren't yet available.

NEVER TELL by Alafair Burke

My review is here. I believe that police procedurals are probably among the most difficult forms of fiction to create. A goodpolice story becomes a great one when it is more than whodunit, and includes elements prevalent in our society today of which we don’t necessarily take notice, but should. NEVER TELL does exactly this.

Click here to preorder IF YOU WERE HERE

HEARTBROKEN by Lisa Unger

My review is here. I don't use the term "master storyteller" lightly, so please believe me when I tell yo that Lisa Unger is fast approaching this status. HEARTBROKEN is crime fiction, yes, but it is really a story about choices...and what happens when we make them.

Lisa's next book is as-of-yet untitled, but don't let that stop you from clicking here to preorder

THE DEMANDS and RUSH OF BLOOD by Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham is another author who told reader two excellent stories this year. For Americans, RUSH OF BLOOD has only been released as an ebook, although you can order a hard copy fromAmazon.co.uk.

THE DEMANDS is the latest in the Tom Thorne series, in which our flawed cop hero is dropped into the thick of things when a criminal--who might not be such a bad guy--makes a personal request for Tom.

RUSH OF BLOOD is a stand-alone, and is not what readers might expect from a police procedural author, simply because it's a psychological thriller...that will make you never want to attend another dinner party or speak to a stranger.

Click here to preorder THE DYING HOURS

THE SURVIVOR by Gregg Hurwitz

I’m not normally a big fan of books where important plot elements sneak up on me, but in this case, the sneaking is masterful, and the story is so compelling that it truly is difficult at best to set it down. I can’t imagine anyone reading this book and not loving it.

Click here to preorder CITY OF FOG

ONLY ONE LIFE and FAREWELL TO FREEDOM by Sara Blaedel

We all know (right?) how much I adore police procedurals, particularly when the hero or heroine is less-than perfect. Sara Blaedel's Louise Rick is just such a cop. Set in Denmark, each of these stories surprised me, and made me want to hang out with Louise and her best friend, journalist Camilla Lind, even more.

Preorder FAREWELL TO FREEDOM

INTO THE DARKEST CORNER and REVENGE OF THE TIDE by Elizabeth Haynes

Since I read INTO THE DARKEST CORNER I've given it to several people, and always with a warning: This book is scary. Keep-you-awake creepy. Give-you-a-pain-in-your-tummy frightening. Elizabeth Haynes tells stories in a manner I can best describe as vivid, because her characters' fears and phobias became mine as I read. She is that skilled.

REVENGE OF THE TIDE is the UK title; this book is called DARK TIDE in the U.S. Elizabeth explained to me (I was lucky enough to meet her this year, and she is absolutely lovely--not at all what you'd expect from her dark stories!) that the American edition was fairly heavily edited; I have a copy of the U.S. version, but have not yet read it.

Preorder DARK TIDE

DEAD HARVEST and THE WRONG GOODBYE by Chris Holm

My review of DEAD HARVEST is here. These books seem to be most often categorized as Urban Fantasy...but there are plenty of crimes committed--the theft of souls among them--that I'm tagging them crime fiction. Because I knew author Chris Holm’s short stories, I knew already that he is a talented storyteller. If I’m honest, though, I underestimated his power to create characters and worlds that are as compelling as those in these books. Protagonist Sam Thornton is a fascinating guy, and I can't wait for the next installment!

Preorder THE BIG REAP

SAFE HOUSE by Chris Ewan

I didn't quite know what to expect when I cracked open SAFE HOUSE, but I was in for quite a treat. The Isle of Man is not the setting one necessarily expects for an in-your-face thriller, but this one is as much fun as the TT races themselves.

Preorder THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE TO BERLIN

THE WRATH OF ANGELS by John Connolly

While this book doesn't come out in the US until January, I consider myself a citizen of the world, and in that spirit--and since it's out now in other countries--I'm including it here.

THE WRATH OF ANGELS is quite different from the last Charlie Parker book, THE BURNING SOUL, and every bit as good. It is a a series of careful and intricate portraits of characters who are connected by tendrils that traverse the worlds of the tangible and the gossamer.

Preorder THE WRATH OF ANGELS

HELPLESS by Daniel Palmer

My review is here. Daniel Palmer has a gift for dropping readers into stories that so clearly could be true, they feel, while you're reading, like they are true. Because he's an astute researcher, I learned a lot reading HELPLESS...frankly, some of it I wish I didn't know because it highlights some of the darkest aspects of our world today. This one is scary stuff from a still-new novelist that shows we can only expect more excellent stories from Daniel Palmer.

Preorder STOLEN

THE BLACK BOX by Michael Connelly

For even long-time and ardent Harry Bosch fans, this book will stand out. Starting during the LA riots 20 years ago, the story puts Harry's conviction that either we all count or none of us does to the test. This is truly Connelly at his storytelling best. 

LIVE BY NIGHT by Dennis Lehane
I've long been fascinated by prohibition-era America, but it's been a while since I read a book set in this time frame since many of them are carbon copies of each other populated by caricatures. Leave it to master storyteller Dennis Lehane to bring the freshest voice I've read since F. Scott Fitzgerald to the 1920s.

Medium: A New User’s Perspective

Today on Dead Guy (and on Medium), I'm talking about what Medium.com is and whether we should care.

Be the Sneeze

Today on Dead Guy, I'm talking about why you all should Be the Sneeze when it comes to books.

For Savita

Savita Halappanavar

On October 21, 31 year-old dentist Savita Halappanavar went to University Hospital Galway in Ireland. She was 17 weeks pregnant, and was experiencing severe back pain. She and her husband were told that she was miscarrying, and she (and her child) died of septicemia a week later, after having asked for and been denied an abortion.

While this story has received minimal visibility in America—because, you know, we’re much more concerned about what David Petraeus might or might not have done with his willie—it deserves understanding for a number of reasons. Unfortunately, in most cases, extremism seems to be prevailing at the expense of understanding what happened, why, and what happens now in the hopes that Savita’s death will not have been in vain.

I was prompted to write this having watched Cenk Uygur’s report yesterday. Please understand: I have nothing but respect for Cenk’s reporting; I've written about this before. In this case, however, I’m disappointed that he’s missing an opportunity to educate his vast audience and potentially participate in the change that will occur. Here’s the (NSFW) report:

Using this story to simply vilify Ireland and the people who live there as backwards, religious-obsessed freaks gets us absolutely nowhere. Is abortion illegal in Ireland? Yes, generally speaking, it is. But that’s not news, nor is it unique. According to a 2011 UN report, it’s not even unusual. Ireland’s abortion laws are not the most restrictive in the world, far from it. Hell, I’m amazed anyone ever has sex in Chile or the Dominican Republic at all.

Ireland’s laws regarding abortion have a complicated history. To me, though—keeping in mind that I’m certainly no lawyer—they’re clear. Abortion is legal when the life of the mother is in danger. The eighth amendment to the Irish Constitution, which was approved by referendum in 1983, recognizes the “right to life of the unborn” and (this is the important bit) the “equal right to life of the mother.” To wit:

The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

What does this mean? It illustrates an important point about Irish people that Cenk chooses to ignore in favor of ranting about religion when it comes to reporting this topic: The voters of Ireland have been clear in their choice to live in a society where abortion is permitted when the life of the mother is in danger.

Cenk also quoted Savita’s husband saying that he—and his wife—are neither Irish nor Catholic (they're Indian and I don't know which if any religion). He seems to imply that this means they should not have been subject to Irish laws. Again, though, this is not a religious issue. In our current human society, we are subject to the laws of whichever country in which we choose to reside. Should we be able to pick and choose which laws apply to us if we happen to live in a country in which we were not born? I don’t think so. Does this mean all the laws in any country don’t need to be changed to make them better? Absolutely not.

I want to be completely clear here: I am horrified at the tragedy of Savita’s death. I believe that if we can avoid extremist rants and understand the problem and potential solutions, her death will not have been in vain. As the investigation into this case continues, I hope to learn whether, for example, in the three days Savita spent in University Hospital Galway during which her husband has said they were asking for her pregnancy to be terminated, any other HSE (the body that oversees healthcare) administrators or physicians were consulted and what they did or didn't do.

Before you sit back in your chair and bemoan the backwards nature of this island nation, understand that Ireland and her people (and, indeed, politicians) are not sitting back and taking this lightly. We are angry. We are motivated to affect change. Since this story broke, there have been protests, vigils, and marches, and more are planned for the days ahead. The Irish Times has done a fantastic job of compiling news and reporting on this story and the reaction to it here.

So in the end, is this a religious issue? Yes, insofar as religion has affected the evolution of Irish society. But news flash: Religion has been a factor in the evolution of the societal structure and laws of every single country on the planet. We can get all extremist about it—just like the American Tea Partiers do—or we can take a breath and remember that a little intelligent consideration goes a long way. Before you condemn “Ireland” or even “Catholicism” wholesale, please take a look around and understand some facts, with a view to being part of the solution rather than just another voice ranting about the problem.

The Week That Was

Today on Dead Guy, I'm talking about the week we've had...Sandy, Amazon, the US presidential election, and more.